<p>So, MIni, which method worked best?</p>
<p>So a tomato update:</p>
<p>The ones on the windowsill haven’t turned at all. The ones under the sun lamp haven’t turned, but it may be that the sun lamp hasn’t been on enough.</p>
<p>The ones in the bags are turning - both those with bananas, but especially (I think) those with apples. But not all of them. The Genoa tomatoes are a brilliant, gorgeous red. I discovered that taking them out of the bag once they begin to turn (or become a pale orange) and then exposing them to light works better than just keeping them in the bag. I wish I had a photographer - they are just gorgeous. The Prudens Purples also are ripe - dark orange, with a little purplish tinge, and taste great.</p>
<p>The yellow plums are just beginning to turn. The Black from Tula haven’t turned at all (but maybe they need more time), and I don’t see any change in the Early Girls or Green Zebras. No changes in those hanging from vines.</p>
<p>I still have a couple of hundred tomatoes outside. I made my first green tomato pie last night - tastes basically like apple. (Next time I do this, I think I will mix green tomatoes with apple. I used a recipe where you soften up the apples by cooking first (rather than Paula Dean’s, where one just layers in the raw tomatoes sliced.) I think next time I will use a little more tapioca.</p>
<p>I’m jealous, our blistering hot July, followed by monsoonal late August to September supressed the harvest from the tomato plants in my garden & the farm co-op we belonged to was flooded by Irene, so not too many Jersey tomatoes this year for us.</p>
<p>“The problem with sunny windowsill ripening method is… there is NO sunny windows in our neck of the woods in October.”</p>
<p>October used to be my favorite month too, but not this year.</p>
<p>Never rains here, though. You must live in Seattle.</p>
<p>^ Well at least my ferns are doing very well 
I didn’t even try to grow tomatoes- but I have a ton of potatoes.</p>
<p>Three tomato plants on my deck, still flowering, have green and reddening tomatoes. I am watering still, watching for when the first frost will be. Maybe have another 10 days according to the forecasts.</p>
<p>Mini, thanks for your report. How do the ones that have reddened taste? Do they taste like real ripe tomatoes, or do they taste like the color doesn’t quite correspond to the taste?</p>
<p>The Prudens Purple tastes great! I’m not sure about the Genoas - they are, after all, meant to be cooking tomatoes. So I’ll make a little sauce and find out. The few Black Cherries taste fine, too. I’m disappointed in the taste of the Yellow Pears, but frankly, I don’t think I’m fond of them ripened on the vine either, and so won’t plant them again.</p>
<p>I did not care for the taste of vine-ripened yellow pears either, but they do add a different twist of color to salads.</p>
<p>I have flats of ripening tomatoes in my pantry: some Cherokee Purples, some cherry no name ones, and Siberian tomato that really disappointed me (the ripening laggard).</p>
<p>My eggplant bushes are covered with beautiful purple flowers. 
There are ten or so eggplants maybe 2 inches in diameter. This summer was the most disappointing ever for gardening.</p>
<p>Oh, My!</p>
<p>The Genoa tomatoes have turned quite simply into the most beautiful tomatoes I have seen in my 61 years on earth. Today, I carried one around in my pocket, just to look at it.</p>
<p>These are cooking tomatoes, not fresh eating tomatoes. So, for dinner, I made a very rough version of chicken scallopini, with basically a “flash” (20 minute) sauce made with the Genoas, some basil and greek oregano from the garden, garlic, a little lemon juice, and some white wine.</p>
<p>It was the BEST Italian meal I’ve had in the U.S. in the past 20 years, and the sauce rivaled some of the best I’ve had in Italy.</p>
<p>They are definitely keepers!</p>
<p>I am in mourning for vine ripened tomatoes. There is nothing I like better. I don’t even bother with winter tomatoes. I bought a few at the farmers market last week - the last ones around. I was advised to put them in a ceramic bowl in the warmest place in the house. They ripened fairly well. I had never done that before.</p>
<p>My next door neighbor, whose tomato garden backs onto a west-facing stone wall and which is 25 feet lower than mine, gave me two beautiful brandywines yesterday. He is still ripening tomatoes–mine all started to rot a week ago with the terrible rains we had. My neighbor also has much better supports than I do, which has me redesigning my tomato garden for next summer. </p>
<p>I just harvested my sugar pie pumpkins. 8 nice-size pumpkins from a single vine, planted in the shade on the north side of a hedge. </p>
<p>Mini, your dinner sounds fabulous.</p>